Combined conduit, junction box, and outlet box



A. H. TASHJIAN.

COMBINED cowoun, JUNCTION Box, AND OUTLET BOX.

APPLICATION FILED IAN; I9, I92I.

Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHET 1.

A. H. TASHJIAN.

COMBINED CONDUIT, JUNCTION BOX, AND OUTLET BOX. APPLICATION FILED LAN-19,1921.

1,437,324. Patented ov- 28, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHtE1 z.

I I4 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII"Illi I .4 i l mnlu uul n uv all attorney A. H. TASHJIAN.

COMBINED CONDUIT, JUNCTION BOX, AND OUTLET BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JAN: 19. 1921.

1,437,324. Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

UNITED STATES ARMEN H. TASHJIAN,

OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

COMBINED CONDUIT, JUNCTION BOX, AND OUTLET BOX.

Application filed January 19, 1921. Serial No. 488,382.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARMEN H. TASHJIAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Combined Conduits, Junction Boxes, and Outlet Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In the erection of new buildings and the alteration of old buildings, the architect is called upon to locate the receptacles or socalled outlets for the electric installations in the various rooms, and while he may be ever so far-seeing, it still frequently happens that tenants taking the rooms find it very inconvenient to get their electrical apparatus so arranged as to suit their particular convenience and to involve the least possible exposure of conductors. For example, a tenant may want his desk at a certain place in the room, and may require a light at one place, a fan at another,"'and a telephone at another; also he may wish a certain location for his call-bells and telegraph and messenger service. Under-the plans at present in vogue, a certain numberof outlet boxes with receptacles and plugs are permanently located at various fixed points at the base of the walls of each room or ofiice. v let box is connected with the electric distribution panel with separate conduits run in the floor. To find these prearranged receptacles well located for every requirement of every tenant is very unlikel with the result that for every desired localization 'ofa telephone, light, fan, call-bell or other office conveniences, either the conductors from the receptacles will have to be extended a considerable distance in an exposed manner, or else extensive tearing up of floors and walls, rearranging ofjoutlet boxes and conduits, and patching of, finish has to be done to suit each re' uirement.

complete electric connection to a given electric appliance requires1st, a junction box at the junction of the leader conduit and the distribution conduits; 2nd, a distribution conduit or carrier of conductors, and 3rd, a box to receive the receptacle and plug. The object of my invention is to provide a single element or device which fulfills the functions of all three devices above enumerated along any point in its length, and thereby Each outnot only make one element accomplish the functions of three different devices but also by being able to fulfill the said functions along any point in its len th to eliminate the limitations of fixity o junction boxes andv outlet boxes and the attendant expense of alterations and repairs as recited hereinbefore.

Inasmuch as I have shown a variety of constructions embodying the principle of the invention, the accomplishment of the ob 'ject of which'is outlined in the preceding, it

is enough to state here that the invention comprises a combined continuous conduit, continuous outlet box and continuous inlet or "unction box for electric installations of bot high and low tensions, into which lead er conduits may enter along any point desired, in which a number of conductors can be extended at pleasure, and from which service at any desired point may be had low tension currents are extended and inserted into the proper raceway of the device along any point desired, and when the tenant has designated the desired location of each kind of outlet wanted, the front face piece is removed, the necessary conductors are pulled through the leader conduits and e-x- J tended in their respective raceways of the device, and the conductors are tapped at the exact locations wanted and connected to proper outlet receptacles. Holes of proper size and location for each receptacle or bushing are then cut in the front face piece, and said face piece replaced inits position and snapped shut-,and receptacles and bushings properlyattached, to the face piece. The tenant then has the receptacles and outlets just where he wants same. The operation may be repeated any time the tenant desires changes or additional outlets, with very slightefiort and without destroying or muti- Further the element is so built aslower conduit 4 lating, orotherwise defacing or bodily removing the device.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated,

Figure 1 is a vertical section showing one embodiment of the invention in a base. Fig. 2 illustrates the introduction into such a device as thatshown in Fig. 1 of the leader conduits for the different types of conductors. Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2.

but with the face-piece detached. Fig. 1 is i cal section showing the invention applied to a chair-rail. Fig. 9 is a similar section showing the leader conduits applied to such chair-rail, and-with the face-piece of the chair-rail removed. Fig. 10 is a vertical section showing the invention applied to a cornice molding. Fig. 11 shows "the structure of Fig. 10 with the face-piece removed and with the leader conduits applied. Fig. 12 is a vertical -section of another modification of the base. Fig. 13 is a vertical section of the leader cohduit coupling.

In the drawingsI ,have shown some of the various ways in which the invention may be applied, 'but'wish to be understood at the outset as appreciating the fact that builders or architects fancies or -equirements, and

' also building regulations may involve modifications of which the invention is susceptible for obviously its flexibility is very great.

n the preferred construction, whether for a base, a chair-rail, or a cornice, the invention is best embodied in a body portion suitably supported and divided longitudinally into two compartments or race'ways forming conduits for the conductors, a continuous inlet or junction box forleader conduits and a continuous outlet box forreceptacles, and a removable face-piece'which may be cut at any point to receive an outlet box or bushing or other medium by which the distribution wires or conducto s may be connected with the conductors in the, conduits.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, 1 indicates the body portion shown as of metal and divided longitudinally by a partition 2 so as to form anupper conduit 3 inwhich'hightension conductors may be arranged, and a in which low-tension conductors may be arranged. This body portion is provided. at its front with a footpiece or molding 5, which rests on the floor and supports the body portion at the proper elevation, and for further security, the body portion may be nailed or screwed to the Wall 6 as indicatedv at 7. 8 is an upper molding" ing suitably secured as by a spring or springs 9 fastened to the ground-piece 10 of the plaster work, the portion 8 being so shaped as to shed water and moisture. The parts so far described are more or less permanent and stationary. 11 is a detachable facepiece, in the instance shown, having the deflected bottom end 12 which is, adapted to be inserted between the upturned lip 18 of the body portion and the molding 5, in such way as to form a. substantially tight joint against the entrance of water. 13* is a spacer to space off the molding 5 from'the bottom of the body portion. The upper end of this face-piece has a returnv bend 14 which extends in between the upper flange 15 of the body and the bottom end 16 of the molding 8, and is clamped in these parts by means of the action of the spring or springs 9 on the molding, so as to provide a tight joint at this point.

Leader conduits 17 may be introduced into the bottom of the body port-ion as indicated in Fig. 2, and similar conduits 18 may be introduced into the top of the body portion so as to supply the respective kinds of conductors to the conduits in the body portion. The conductors so introduced may be extended through theconduits in the body portion by fishing or any other suitable procedure.

If in the erection, of a building. plugs or outlets be placed in the face-piece and a tenant finds them inconveniently placed, it is only necessary to depress the upper moldand lift the face-piece out of its socket at the bottom, and cut a hole'in the facepiece at the point required by the tenant, and insert the necessary outlet fixtures and make the proper electrical connections, and then restore the face-piece by snapping it into place.

As indicated in Fig. 4, the body portion may be made in sections of any desired length,-and these sections connected by inside thimbles19.

By the construction described itwill beper and lower chambers or conduits 3 and .4 by means of a bend 20 which takes the place of the transverse partition 2 of the construction previously described. This body portion has the top 21 extending only part way across and then has the upright portion 22 which is formed with a socket 23'and the terminal extension 24. The bottom of the body portion has at its front the upward extension 25 which has the downturned return portion 26 at the top of which is a ledge 27 and at the bottom a trough 28 and the floor ledge 29. The face-piece 30 has the reverted top portion 31Whicn in effect is the front portion of the top of the body, and then is extended vertically at 32 and provided with the tongue portion 33 which is adapted to be sprung into the socket 23 to effect the engagement of the face-piece with the'body in a detachable way, and this face-piece is continued outwardly by means of the inclined ortion 34 and the molding 35 which over angs the subjacent portion of the-face-piece and extends up' The lower por-.

into contact with the Wall. tion of the face-piece is provided with a ledge 36 which rests on the ledge 27 of the body and is continued downwardly as a floor molding 37 and then reverted and provided with the lip 38 which en ages the trough 28 of the body, so that the ace-piece is engaged with. the bod by the sprirbig cone ttom,

nection at the top and t e lip at t forming .a secure union with the body and adapting the face-piece to be readily re-v moved-from the body whenever'it is desired to install an outlet "box or bushing.

Fig. 6 illustrates the construction shown in Fig. 5 at a joint of two sections, in which sleeves 39 and 40 are inserted in adjacent ends of the sections. In this joint the bolts 41 and 42 may be passed clear through the structure.

In Fig. 7 a further modification is shown.

The body portion 1 is'divided into upper and lower conduits 3 and 4 by a transverse is provided with a spring element 43 and an upstanding lip 44 and the bottom is provided with an upstanding lip 45 and a base molding 46 which may be permanently fastened tothe body. The face-piece 47, has the extension 48 parallel with the extension 44 of the body to form a socket in which the lower end of the molding '49 is placed, and adjacent to the extension 48 is a flange 50 on the back of the face-piece which hooks into the spring 43 to-connect the face-piece with thebody at the top, while the bottom of the faceiece is provided with an offset flange 51. w ich engages the lip 45 of the body. In these two modifications of the construction it will be observed that there is e ual facility for attaching the face-piece without disturbing the body.

In Fig. 8 is illustrated a chair-rail construction, in which there is a body portion 52 divided by the transverse partition 5.3 into upper and lower conduits, the top wall of the body being provided with an upstanding lip 54 and thebottom wall being 1 provided with a trough 55, and the 'facehooks over the lip 54, and the lower portion of the face-piece having a flange 58 which engages the trough 55, the outside of the face-piece being extended below and con cealing the joint. Obviously, the facepiece may be detached from the body by lifting it. The body may be fastened to the prinis modified to conform to any suitable de-f sign or usage; and as herein shown .it'may be attached to a ceiling ground 63 by means of spring or other clips or clasps 64. The molding may be set, or may be made responsive to spring action,

applicable also to so as to grip the upper edge of the facepiece in its connection with the body. So also the upper and lower moldings in the construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9 and the lower moldings as shown in Figs. 10 and 11 may have more or less elasticity or flexibility so as to exert spring action on the bottom of the tion and face-piece.

The explanation of the construction shown inFigs. 10 and 11 is the same as that used in describing Figs. 8 and 9, and the same reference characters are use In Fig. 12 I have shown another form of the invention, in which the body portion 1 is made by folding a piece of metal upon itself to form the partition 2, and thus divide the base into an upper andfa lower place when access is desired to eithercon-.

duit. There is a base-molding 69'attached by a screw or screws or other devices 70, to the portion 65, and the upper end of this base-molding .in connection .with the offset portion 66 foiins'a socket in which the faceplate 67 is secured. The coupling members .19 may be of any approved construction,

preferably ofsuitable material folded upon itself, with the overlapping joints 71 and 72.

The top of the base may be provided with an upright 73.which engages and supports body por-' the molding 8 and spring 9, and itself is fastened to the plaster ground.

The body portion in Fig. 12 has a bead 74: at the front of its bottom which serves to space off the base-molding.

As shown in Fig. 13, the conduit 17 may have a screwthreaded end 74, and such screwthreads provided with an abutment, flange, or collar 75 adapted to be arranged on one side of the combined conduit, recep-- tacle box and outlet box, and a nut 76 applied to the screwthreads on the other side of the base-piece, so as to effect an intimate clamping connection of the conduits with the combined device. The foregoing description of the coupling members of the conduit 17 applies equally to the coupling members of the conduits 18.

As indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the entrance of the conduits 17 into the base is not confined to the angle, but may be effected at any point, and this fact renders the construction especially convenient and valu able.

As already sufiiciently indicated, the invention is susceptible of wide variations in the details of construction to meet the requirements of installation and of architects and builders.

What I claim is 1. A building element, for the reception and distribution of electric conductors, and the reception of electric leader conduits and receptacles or outlets, comprising a sheet metal body portion having isolated conduits for high-tension and low-tension conductors, and a face-piece for said body portion adapted to be detached from'the body portion without disturbing said body portion to receive and support at any desired point a suitable outlet mechanism for electrical connection with the conductors in the conduits and associated stationary means for permitting the detaching and replacing of said face-piece, said element serving the threefold purpose of a continuous conduit, a a continuous junction box, and a continuous outlet or receptacle box;

2. A building element, for the reception and distribution of electric conductors, and the reception of electric leader conduits and receptacles or outlets, comprising a sheetmetal body portion provided with a longitudinal partition by which said body portion is divided into two chambers, a detachable face-piece of perforable material, ,whereby an outlet may be placedat any desired point for obtaimng current, and coopcrating means on the body portion and facepiece for separably connecting the two, said element serving the threefold purpose of a continuous conduit, a continuous junction box, and a continuous outlet or receptacle box. I

3. A building element, for the reception and distribution of electric conductors, and the reception of electric leader conduits and receptacles or outlets, comprising a sheet metal body portion divided longitudinally into upper and lower conduits for the reception of electric conductors of diilerent kinds or tension, a foot-piece for supporting the body portion, a yielding top molding cooperating with the upper portion of the body portion, and a detachable perforable facepiece in sliding connection with the bottom and top of the body portion, said element.

upper portion of the body portion and to be engaged by the yielding top molding, said element serving the threefold purpose of a continuous conduit, a continuous junction box, and a continuous outlet or receptacle box.

5. A building element, for the reception and distribution of electric conductors, and the reception of electric leader conduits and receptacles or outlets, comprising a sheet metal body portion divided longitudinally into upper and lower conduits for the reception of electric conductors of different kinds or tension, at foot-piece for supporting the body portion, a. yielding top molding, and a detachable perforable face-piece having a hook-like upper end adapted'to engage the upper portion of the body portion and to be engaged by the yielding top molding and having its bottom end engaged by and between the bottom of the body portion and the foot-piece, said element serving the threefold purpose of a continuous conduit, acontinuous junction box, and a continuous outlet or receptacle box.

6. A building element, for the reception anddistribution of electric conductors, and

'r the reception of electric leader conduits and receptacles or outlets comprising a sheet metal body portion divided longitudinally into upperv and lower conduits for the reception of electric conductors of different kinds or tension, a foot-piece for supporting the body portion, a yielding spring-pressed top molding cooperating with the upper portion of the body portion, and adetachable perforable face-piece in sliding connection with'the bottom and top of the body portion, said element serving the threefold purpose of a continuous conduit, a continuous junction box, and a continuous outlet or recep- I tacle box. 7

7. A building element, for the reception and distribution of electric conductors, and the reception of electric leader conduits and receptacles or outlets, comprisin a sheet metal body portion divided longitudinally into isolated conduits, a detachable perforable face-piece for enclosing the front of the body portion, a sprin connection between the upper ends of the iody portion and the face-piece, and a foot-piece forming abottom support for thebody portion and spaced apart from the body portion to form a socket adjacent thereto for the reception of the lower end of the face-piece, said element serving the threefoldpurpose of a continuous conduit, a continuous junction box, and

a continuous outlet or receptacle box.

8. A building element, for the reception and distribution of electric conductors, and the reception of electric leader .conduits and receptacles or outlets, comprisin a sheet metal body portion divided long1-' tudinally into isolated conduits, a detachable face-piece, and spring connections between said face-piece and the upper portion of the bod portion,. said element serving the threefo d purpose of a continuous conduit, a continuous junction box, and a continuous outlet or receptacle box.

9. A buildingelement, for the reception and distribution of electric conductors, and the rece tion of electric leader conduits and receptac es or outlets, com rising a sheet metal body portion divide longitudinally into isolated conduits, a detachable facepiece, and spring connections between'said ace-piece and the u perlportion of the body portion, and a yiel ing connection between said face-piece and the lower portion of thebody portion, said. element serving the threefold purpose of a continuous conduit,

a continuous unction box,and a continuous outlet or receptacle box.

*10. A combined continuous conduit, a continuous junction box, and a continuous outlet or rece tacle box for electric installations in bui dings, havin isolated compartments for conductors of otherwise, a perforable face-piece, and means for detachably connecting the two, the whole constituting a building element.

' 11. A combined continuous conduit, a conifi'erent tension or tinuous junction box, and a continuous outlet or receptacle box for electric installations in buildings, having isolated compartments for conductors of different tension or otherwise, a face-piece, and means forming parts of the structure for separably connecting the two, said face-piece being ada ted to be tapped at pleasure for access to t e con- 'ductors in either compartment at any desired point, the whole constituting a ing element.

12. A combined continuous conduit, a continuous junction box, and a continuous outlet or receptacle box madewholl of metal and comprisin a body portion divided into a plurality o conduits to receive electric conductors, a faceiece ada ted to be tapped at any point or connection with the enclosed conductors, and means forming buildparts of the structure for separably connecting the body portion and face-piece, the whole constituting a building element.

13. A combined continuous conduit, a continuous junction box, and-a continuous outlet or receptacle box forelectric installations in buildings, having isolated compartments for conductors of difierent tension or otherwise, a perforable face-piece adapted to be tapped at any point for leading-out conbined device and its face-piece, and a leader conduit having a collar and a cooperating nut for clamping said conduit to the combined device, the whole constituting a buildin element.

n testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of January A. D.

ARMEN H. TASHJIAN.

Witnesses.

0mm V.. Maamox, 8.0. SHANE. 

